Becoming a mom can be a confusing time, in many ways and for a variety of reasons. Every parent has had a unique experience with their kids, yet happily insist on offering you their advice about what works best for all parents everywhere. I'm exaggerating, clearly (kind of), but there is honestly a long list of things every new mom never wants to hear again, because of how much unsolicited advice is thrown a new mom's way and how contradictory it all is and how unnecessary the majority of it can be.
For every mom who wants to tell you their story about struggling with breastfeeding, there's another mom who wants to tell you that it's the most blissful experience they've ever had. For every cry-it-out advocate, there's someone silently (or not so silently) judging all those parents who would dare let their baby sob alone and in the dark. Honestly, every single piece of unsolicited advice becomes too much for new moms to take, as they're just trying to figure out how they're going to do parenthood in a way that works best for themselves and, of course, their child.
I think no matter how you decide to take care of your baby, you are going to be faced with naysayers and judgmental individuals. I breastfed both my kids for almost two years, despite multiple struggles, and I wanted to knock my head against a wall every time I heard someone express surprise that I had continued to breastfeed. "Wow, I couldn't have kept going if I had gone through what you did." Uhh, thanks? What does that even mean?
Of course, not every mom has to hear every one of these things. Depending on where you live and who you surround yourself with and how supportive your family is, will definitely determine what type (or how much) advice or shame or judgement or unsolicited comments are thrown your way. Still, it's important to highlight that regardless of whichever side of any "parenting debate" you end up choosing to associated yourself with, you're going to have people responding to your decision with shock, judgment or smugness. That's why, honestly, a new mother doesn't need to hear anything other than, "I support you," and the following 14 things can just be put to bed. Like, forever.